New Delhi, March 6
The four-phase Lok Sabha poll, the largest electoral exercise in the world in which 65 crore people would cast their votes, would cost the Union Government over Rs 938 crore. This includes Rs 100 crore spent on the preparation of voters’ photo identity cards.
The poll expenditure this time is up by about 25 per cent when compared to the last general election. It’s due to an escalation in the cost, Law and Justice Ministry sources said.
The government has made a special provision of Rs 818.38 crore in the interim budget for the Election Commission’s expenses on general election and Rs 100 crore for providing photo identity cards to the voters.
This is above the Rs 231.62-crore provision for the Commission to meet its normal poll expenses like byelections, the Rajya Sabha poll and similar other electoral exercises.
The sharp rise in the poll expenses during the past few general elections, was mainly due to the growing law and order problem, which forced the poll panel to stretch the election schedule to different phases, they said.
Maximum of the amount was being spent on the transportation of security forces and election officials. Besides, the high-tech poll process has added to the escalation of the cost.
Since the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) would be used for the first time in the entire country during the expenses are bound to go up, they said.
During the previous general election, the total poll expenditure was Rs 650 crore.
Besides, the government has allocated Rs 11.50 crore
separately in the interim budget to meet EC’s routine expenses.
